Google Earth leads to discovery of William Moldt's remains, 22 years after he went missing

It took more than two decades, but a missing man's remains have been found after a submerged car was spotted on Google Earth.

Key points:

William Moldt was reported missing in 1997 after failing to return home from a night out

By chance, a submerged car was spotted on Google Earth about 30 kilometres from where he was last seen

The car was "heavily calcified" when police arrived, and Mr Moldt's remains were discovered inside

William Moldt was reported missing in 1997 at the age of 40, after failing to return home from a night out in Lantana, Florida in the United States.

A search was launched, but the case went cold — until last month.

A previous resident of the neighbourhood of Grand Isles in Wellington, Florida, about 30 kilometres west of Lantana, was looking at the area on Google Earth when he zoomed into a pond and saw what looked like a car.

The former resident contacted a current homeowner, who used a drone to confirm it was a white car on the edge of the pond behind his house, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's office said.